Something Like Home

Through Laura’s close point of view, the book illustrates that children are often powerless over their lives, and must endure tough transitions. Kids often struggle with drastic changes, the instability causing them to feel overwhelmed or upset. For example, despite adults like Janet and Silvia believing they’re offering the best options, Laura resents the new arrangement; she feels that her past home had “a little more” not “less” compared to her life with Silvia (31). Her emotional response is valid, as she’s denied the control she craves over her life. Since she feels trapped, Laura often withdraws into silence or reacts with anger, as she does during Brenda’s home visit:

[I]t’s too much, 

all this not knowing 

and Titi snitching 

and people hiding things from me 

like I’m in first grade […] 

and my voice sounds ice-cold when I ask: 

What meeting? What Monday? […] 

Just because I’m eleven doesn’t mean 

I shouldn’t know what is happening 

in MY OWN LIFE. (153). 

Laura’s struggle to be heard and harness her agency are emblematic of this theme.

As she faces a lack of control, Laura must become more resilient. Initially, Laura is stuck in her mindset of